Edwin joel sitler



(No Model.)

B. J. SITLER.

GAR GOUPLING.

Patented Jan. 3, 1893.

UNITED STATES twice.

PATENT EDWIN JOEL SITLER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-FIFTHSTO HENRY CHARLES MEOHTERSHEINER, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 489,421, dated January3, 1893.

Application filed April 9, 1892. Serial No. 428,486. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN JOEL SITLER, of Chicago, in the county ofCook, State of Illinois', have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Car-Couplings, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The object of my invention is to provide a cheap and economical couplingfor freight cars principally, which will operate equally well on eitherend of the car, with eithervhigh or low cars; can be readily used withthe common coupling link and pin, either together or in conjunction withthe ordinary draw-bar; and which always couples automatically;substantially as hereinafter fully described, and as illustrated in thedrawings, in which Figure 1, is a side elevation of two of my improvedcar-couplings, showing them in position to be coupled. Fig. 2, is ahorizontal central section throughone of the same. Fig. 3, is a planview thereof. Fig. 4, is a perspective view of the push-block, and, Fig.5, is a horizontal section through the same.

In the drawings A represents the body of my improved coupling, which,back of the head portion .8 thereof, is channeled out longitudinally, soas to give it a U-shape in cross section. The engaging face of the headB of the coupling is substantially the same as that of the ordinarydraw-bar, and it is provided in its upper. surface, back a sufficientdistance from its engaging face, with a transverse groove a extendingclear across it, which slants outward from the engaging face of the headand terminates, preferably, just above the center of the head. The headof my improved coupling is also provided with a throat or longitudinalcentral passage 1), eX- tending from its engaging face clear through tothe channeled out body-portion A. The groove a provides the head B withan undercut shoulder, which answers all the purposes of a hook, andwhich serves to confine the transverse outer end portion of the link 0,which is of a yoke-shape and has its ends Fig. 1 projects in ahorizontal direction toward the rear of the coupler. In this positionthe finger d is suitably confined, to keep the yoke raised or liftedready for engagement, by means of the tumbler D. This tumbler consistsof alongitudinal reciprocal block, which is of a width corresponding(preferably) to the width of the channel or trough e in the body, on thefloor of which it rests and moves, and it is of the height correspondingto that of the longitudinal passage bin the head, into which its forwardend, after passing under the spindle 0, extends. The rear end of thistumbler is provided with an upward projection, in the forward edge ofwhich is a trans verse recess E, into which, when said tumbler is shotforward, the finger cl, when in the horizontal position, enters. WVhenfinger d is in said recess E the yoke-shaped link 0 is held in thelifted position shown in the left hand coupler in Fig. 1.

Now when the heads of myimproved coup ler collide the link 0 isreleased, and by virtue of its own gravity drops automatically into thegroove a of the engaging coupler. To accomplish the automatic release oflink 0, I provide the buflferorpush-block F, which is of such dimensionsthat it can rest and move longitudinally in the said passage 19 of thehead, and which has its forward end provided with a buffer plate f. Theplate f, when the block F is pushed back to the limit of its rearwardmovement, rests in a depressed seat made with reference thereto in theface of the said head. This block F is of such length that when it is atthe limit of its rearward movement the tumbler will have been thrownback, until stopped by the transverse bar g,

so as to release the finger d. This action takes place when two of myimproved couplers collide or engage and causes the pushblock to movebackward and throw the tumbler back so as to release spindle 0 so thatsaid link 0 may fall of its own weight. \Vhen it is desired to uncouplemy improved couplers, the link C may, if desired, be lifted by hand fromthe groove a in the head of the engaging coupler, and dropped to theposition shown in the right hand coupler illustrated in Fig. 1. In orderto avoid the necessity of placing any part of the person between thecars, however, I have constructed devices which are operated from thesides of the car, and which enable the link C to be lifted, and retainedin such lifted position without being touched by the hands. Thesedevices consist of a transverse shaft G, which is journaled in suitablelugs depending from the under side of the body of the coupler, and whichis of such length that its end extends beyond the side of the car wherethey are provided with a crank or arm h to turn the shaft with. Thisshaft is provided on each side of the body of the coupler with sort ofleafshaped cams H, which engage with the pearshaped cams I, I, on theends of the spindle, just inside of where the ends of link 0 are securedthereto. Shaft G, between its bearings, is also provided with an arm 7a,which projects therefrom in such direction that when said cams engage tolift the yoke-shaped link 0 (thereby bringing the finger (l on spindle cto a horizontal position) said arm moves up through a slot K in thefloorof the channeled body-portion of the coupler, and strikes againstand pushes the said tumbler forward to the limit of its forwardmovement, thereby causing the said pin to enter the recess E of saidtumbler to lock the spindle c and the link 0 carried by it. The shaft Gafter it has been turned to complete one revolution, is in the positionshown in the right hand coupler in Fig. 1,in which the handle h thereofhangs downward.

In order to enable my couplers to be used in conjunction with the commondraw-bars using coupling pins and links, I can remove thepush-bloc'i.ealtogether, and makeavertical opening 'min tne head for the receptionof an ordinary coupling pin a. The coupling link would then be insertedin the passage a of the head and held by the pin it in the ordinarymanner. However, it is always desirable that the push-block should beinseparably united to my improved coupler by a chain, or by reason ofsome peculiar construction of its own, otherwiseit would soon becomemisplaced and lost. I prefer, therefore, to make the pushblock hollowits entire length, and have it of such proportions that the opening 0'therethrough would easily accommodate a link. I also provide it withlongitudinally elongated slots 00 in its top and bottom walls for thecoupling pin to pass down therethrough; the

length of said slots being commensurate to the longitudinal movement ofthe push-block.

\Vhat I claim as new is: 1. The combination with a car-coupler havin gits body portion channeled out, and having a transverse groove in theupper surface of its head, of a link having its rear ends secured to atransverse spindle, said transverse spindle journaled in the sides ofthe channeled out part of said coupler and having a pin projectingtherefrom between its bearin gs, a tumbler and a push-block, as setforth.

2. The combination with a car-coupler having its body portion channeledout, and having a transverse groove in the upper surface of its head, ofa link having its rear ends secured to a transverse spindle, saidspindle journaled in the sides of the channeled out part of the saidcoupler and having a pin proj ecting therefrom between its bearings, anda tumbler engaging said pin, as set forth.

3. The combination with a car-coupler having its body portion channeledout, and having a transverse groove in the upper surface of its head, ofa transverse spindle journaled in the sides of the channeled part ofsaid coupler and having a pin projecting therefrom between its bearings,a link having its rear ends secured to the ends of said spindle, alongitudinal reciprocal tumbler engaging said pin, and a transverseshaft, having an arm projecting therefrom, and moving up through asuitable opening in the floor of the channeled out part of the couplerand engaging said tumbler, as set forth.

t. The combination with a car-coupler having its body portion channeledout, having a transverse groove in the upper surface of its head, andhaving a longitudinal passage extending from its engaging face to saidchanneled out part, of a transverse spindle having a pin projectingtherefrom between its bearings into said channeled out part, a pushblockplaced and movable longitudinally in said passage, a tumbler engagingsaid pin and engaged by said push-block, a transverse shaft having anarm passing up through a suitable opening in the floor of said channeledout part and engaging said tumbler, and

a link having its rear ends secured to said spindle.

5. The combination with a coupler the upper surface of the head of whichis provided with atransverse groove, the body portion of which ischanneled out and which is provided with a longitudinal. passageextending from its face to said channeled out part, of a spindle 0having the finger d and provided with the cams I, link 0 secured to theends of said spindle, shaft G, cams II thereon, and arm projectingtherefrom, as set forth.

6. The combination with a coupler the upper surface of the head of whichis provided with a transverse groove, the body portion of which ischanneled out and which is provided with a longitudinal passage a of aspindle c having the finger d, the hollow push-block thereto, andpassing down through the openhaving the longitudinal openings m therein,ing a: in the push-block, as set forth. the tumbler D having the recessE in its upturned rear end, the link C having its rear EDWIN JOEL SITLER5 ends secured to said spindle, and the coup- Witnesses:

ling-pin insertible vertically through a suit- HENRY O. MECHTERSHEIMER,

able opening in the head made with reference 0. ADELBERT OAKES.

